Tag: Horse Care

French and Japanese behaviorists have found that horses can tell if a person has been paying attention, and that they can also determine whether to trust the information the person provides. 

A study has shown scientists that a horse is more likely to follow commands for a food reward from a person who watched where the food went. 

Dr. Monamie Ringhofer, senior lecturer of the Department of Animal Sciences at Teikyo University of Science, says that this behavior indicates a “sophisticated skill” that until now had only been observed in humans and dogs, reports The Horse.

She concludes that the horses see the pointing gesture as a communicative cue that transfers information – it is not a command. 

Previous research had shown that horses tended to go to a bucket at which a human is pointing, but scientists had not considered whether the horse was blindly following the cues or if the horse considered what knowledge a person may have of what is in the bucket.

Ringhofer and a research team recreated a test that was originally designed for dogs: horses watched as someone pretended to place food in one of two containers that were blocked from the horse's view. Both containers actually contained food so that smell wouldn't influence the horse's container choice. Two people stood nearby: one who watched the food be hidden and another who faced away from the feed containers.  

The person handling the food then walked away and the two people pointed to a different bucket. The barrier in front of the buckets was removed and the horse was allowed to choose between the buckets. The horses seemed to “trust” the information from the person who had seen the carrot being placed. 

However, these results were dependent on whether the horse was paying attention. The team noted that horses which didn't make the connection between the pointing cue and the person's knowledge didn't mean the horse was less intelligent, it might mean they simply weren't motivated to pay attention. 

The findings suggest that a horse which is paying attention may notice where a human is looking and what they are paying attention to and can, in theory, conclude whether or not the human knows something. 

People interacting with horses should be aware that they are sensitive to human attention and gestures. A horse's motivation and attention should be taken into consideration when they are interacting with humans; it may be necessary to increase a horse's motivation toward what is being taught or trained.

Read more at The Horse. 

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US Equestrian will be joining the FEI in its recently announced efforts to provide support to the equestrian community of Ukraine by establishing the USEF Ukraine Relief Fund.

One-hundred percent of funds collected will go to the FEI solidarity relief fund and directly to those in need of support. The FEI is liaising closely with the Ukrainian Equestrian Federation (UEF) and neighboring countries to facilitate support.

The USEF Board of Directors has committed to allocating additional relief funding.

The UEF reports: “Horse owners, riding schools, athletes, breeders, and professionals are in desperate conditions without any resources of saving their horses. By making a donation or offering help, you will provide the Ukrainian equestrian community a hope for a better future and save lives of the Ukrainians and their loved ones.”

USEF President Tom O'Mara reinforced the importance of the Ukraine relief effort, stating: “The U.S. equestrian community always comes together to help fellow equestrians and horses in need. The acts of war in the Ukraine require all of us to join in supporting human and horse welfare in the areas impacted however we can. We will work closely with FEI to ensure all funds contributed are distributed to those who need it most.”

To make a tax deductible donation please visit the USEF Ukraine Relief Fund Donation and help horses page here or send a check to USEF Memo: USEF Ukraine Relief Fund.

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A new study has found that horses in some parts of Mexico have significant exposure to the two protozoa that cause equine piroplasmosis: Babesia caballi and Theileria equi. 

Equine piroplasmosis is commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions. The disease is spread by ticks and can affect horses, donkeys, and mules. 

Diagnosis can be difficult as the clinical signs are often not definitive, and may include fever, lack of appetite, labored breathing, weight loss, anemia, or exercise intolerance. Mortality rates of infected horses can reach up to 50 percent.

Dr. Elizabeth Salinas-Estrella and a research team created a study using 269 horses from 24 tropical and subtropical locations in Mexico. The scientists took serum and whole blood samples from each horse and tested them serologically using the ELISA and molecularly by using the nPCR and duplex qPCR tests.

The serological tests showed that 184 horses (68.4 percent) had antibodies against T. equi and 150 (55.7 percent) showed antibodies against B. caballi. In total, the tests showed that 46.8 percent of study horses were exposed to both pathogens.

The nPCR test showed that 212 horses (78.8 percent) were positive for T. equi and 21 horses (7.8 percent) were positive for B. caballi; 5.9 percent of study horses were co-infected.

The scientists concluded that the environment in Mexico is well suited to both pathogens, and that horses living in the study areas have high levels of exposure. They also noted that learning more about how the disease is transmitted is imperative as piroplasmosis positive horses can become symptom-free carriers. 

The creation of preventive and control measures is important; as the prevalence of horses traveling between countries for sport or breeding opportunities increases, so does the potential to spread disease. 

Read the full study here. 

Read more here.

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The board of directors of Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation announced today that it has authorized expenditure of $1,661,180 to fund 15 new projects and 10 continuing projects at 16 universities as well as three career development awards. The 2022 slate of research brings Grayson's totals since 1983 to more than $32.1 million to underwrite 412 projects at 45 universities.

“Grayson aims to support projects that address a wide range of equine health issues, and this diversity can be seen in our approved projects this year,” said Jamie Haydon, president of the foundation. “We are not able to fund these research projects and career development awards without the generosity of our donors, and we are grateful to them for recognizing the importance of equine veterinary research.”

Below is an alphabetical list by school of the new projects:

Persistence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Horse Farms

Laura Huber, Auburn University

This project will determine the effect of antimicrobial pressure on multidrug resistant Rhodococcus equi. persistence in the soil of horse breeding farms in a 5-year period.

Evaluating extracellular vesicles from equine fetally-derived mesenchymal stem cells as an endometritis therapeutic

Fiona Hollinshead, Colorado State University

This project will be evaluating extracellular vesicles from equine fetally-derived mesenchymal stem cells as an endometritis therapeutic.

Development of a Palmar Osteochondral Disease Model

Chris Kawcak, Colorado State University

The goal of this proposal is to develop an experimental model of palmar osteochondral disease in horses to better study disease progression and facilitate development of improved treatment strategies.

Development of a Vectored Vaccine to Equine Rotavirus A

Mariano Carossino, Louisiana State University

A novel viral vectored vaccine against equine rotavirus A (G3 and G14), the leading cause of foal diarrhea, will be designed and evaluated in mares and a neonatal mouse model as proof-of-concept.

Novel Strangles Vaccine Using CD40-Targeted Delivery

Luc Berghman, Texas A&M University

This project will be targeting bacterial components of Streptococcus equi spp. equi to the horse's immune surveillance cells (the APCs) that will result in a fast and strong immune response that will protect against strangles.

Trained Immunity in Foals

Angela Bordin, Texas A&M University

This project will study how giving oral live bacteria protects foals against infection by Rhodococcus equi, the cause of severe and debilitating pneumonia in foals, for future development of a vaccine.

Immunogenicity in Foals of an mRNA Vaccine for R. Equi

Noah Cohen, Texas A&M University

This study proposes to develop an mRNA vaccine delivered by inhalation to protect foals against pneumonia caused by Rhodococcus equi.

Does Antibiotic Treatment Change the Microbial Resistome

Paul Morley, Texas A&M University

This research will compare four antibiotic treatments to these protocols that can be selected to treat bacterial infections while also lessening the risks for promoting antibiotic resistance.

Immunomodulation and Exosomes to Enhance Tendon Healing

Sushmitha Durgam, The Ohio State University

This study aims to characterize M1 and M2 macrophage-derived inflammatory factors and assess their impact on superficial digital flexor tendon tenocyte activities while examining the potential of extracellular vesicles/exosomes to enhance tendon healing.

Pharmacokinetics of Oral Mycophenolate Mofetil in Horses

Gwendolen Lorch, The Ohio State University

This proposal will evaluate the pharmacokinetics of orally administered mycophenolate mofetil as a safe, effective, and inexpensive immunosuppressant drug for management of equine immune-mediated disease.

Equine Placentitis: New Approaches to an Old Problem

Pouya Dini, University of California, Davis 

The goal of this study is to identify pathogens involved in placentitis and investigate their interaction with the placenta using bioinformatics and in vitro studies to develop better diagnostic and treatment methods.

Motion of the Proximal Sesamoid Bones on Uneven Footing

Susan Stover, University of California, Davis

This study proposes to determine how hoof conformation, shoeing, and uneven racetrack surfaces could contribute to fetlock breakdowns.

Influence of Vitamin D and Cortisol in R. Equi Infection

Kelsey Hart, University of Georgia

This study will investigate how blood levels of cortisol and vitamin D are related to the development and progression of Rhodococcus equi pneumonia in foals after natural exposure.

Fentanyl Matrix Patches in Horses

Rachel Reed, University of Georgia

This study aims to show that fentanyl administered via patches placed on the skin is well-absorbed and represents a promising means of providing clinically relevant continuous pain relief to horses.

Sirolimus for the Control of Insulin Dysregulation

Andrew Van Eps, University of Pennsylvania 

This study will evaluate the drug sirolimus (a potent suppressor of insulin production) for the treatment of insulin dysregulation (the most important cause of laminitis) in horses.

Career Development Awards

The Storm Cat Career Development Award, inaugurated in 2006, grants $20,000 to an individual considering a career in equine research. This year, Grayson has named two recipients. The first is Dr. Rosemary Bayless of North Carolina State University. Dr. Bayless has completed her residency program and is in a research training position under the mentorship of Dr. Katie Sheats. Her project is “Cell-Free DNA as a Biomarker in Equine Colic Patients.” The second recipient is Dr. Sarah K. Shaffer from the University of California, Davis. Dr. Shaffer's research project is “Linking Training to Stress-Reactions in Racehorse Bones” and will be conducted under the mentorship of Dr. Susan Stover.

The Elaine and Bertram Klein Career Development Award was first awarded in 2015 and grants $20,000 to a prospective equine researcher. This year's recipient is Dr. Bruno C. Menarim from the Gluck Equine Research Center at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Menarim's current research focuses on “PPAR-y Activation in the Treatment of Joint Inflammation” and will be conducted under the mentorship of Dr. James MacLeod.

“Grayson's career development awards have a proven track record of supporting the next generation of top equine researchers, and we are pleased to be able to offer grants to three deserving individuals this year,” said Dr. Johnny Mac Smith, consultant to the research advisory committee.

Details on the new projects are available at the following link: grayson-jockeyclub.org/default.asp?section=2&area=Research&menu=2.

Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation is traditionally the nation's leading source of equine research funding. The projects it supports enhance the health and safety of horses of all breeds. Additional information about the foundation is available at grayson.jockeyclub.org.

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